Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-01
STRANGE BUT TRUE.
Reads Like n ROmance-A NOrtn
Carolina Murder Trial.


Athens (Ga.) Banner.
It will be remarked that about q
year ago there was quite a sensation
in this section of the State over the
appearance of an old man from North
Carolina named DIR. G. w. Ward, who
came in quest OF grandson whom he
believed to have been murdered by
certain men who pursued him. II
transpired to be most thrilling and
interesting story, for which we are in
debted to Colonel ID. w. Meadow, OF
Danielsville.
Aaron Ingram was young man liv-
ing in Swain county, N. c. In diff.
Guilty he killed with a Barlow knife q
man named Sherman Welsh, of the
same county. Ingram made good his
escape, passing through Toccoa
Gainesville, Danielsville, Washington
and other points in this section Of
Georgia.
The Sheriff of Swain county was
also named Welsh, and is cousin Of
the man killed by Ingram. Together
with the others he started in quest OF
the murderer, the posse tracking him
like sleuth-hounds and following close
upon his heels. They also passed
through the towns we have named,
and were open in their declaration
that they would take Ingram, dead or
alive. After going as far as Augusta
this squad returned, and on reaching
home publicly boasted that they had
put Ingram where the dogs would not
bite him, and used other expressions
that led the public to believe that they
had not only captured their man, but
killed him and hid his body. Their
boasts came to the ears of DR.. G. w.
Ward, the grandfather of Ingram, and
a nice old gentleman. He believed
Welsh's boasts and in turn started on
their track.
FEARFUL FIND.
He, too, took in these towns, and
stopped at each to make inquiries, but
could learn nothing until Augusta was
reached, and there he found in the
swamps of the Savannah river the
body of decapitated human being
with the head missing. The flesh,
however, was dropping from the bones,
so that he could not identify the re-
mains, but he returned home with the
firm belief that it was the body of his
grandson, who had been killed by his
pursuers and thus mutilated to con-
ceal the crime. He had no evidence
to convict, but before he left Georgia
he offered a reward for such testimony
But, as it afterward trsnspired, these
were not young Ingram's remains.
Near Athens, Ga, he succeeded in
throwing his pursuers off his trail and
went to Rutledge, a little town on the
Georgia road. From there he kept
getting further and further off, finally
locating in the IDdian Teraitory, where
he went to work as farmland. He
had such dread of detection that he
would not even communicate with his
family in North Carolina.
But as fate would have it, near
where Ingram was working there also
lived man from Swain comfy who
had also left home for some crime.
He recognized Ingram as soon as he
saw him, and, to ingratiate himself
with gang of cowboys, told them
that Ingram had murdered man in
North Carolina and fed from justice f;
that reward of 500 was offered for
him, but he was a desperate man
and would resist arrest to the death.
He also informed the cowboys that
the reward would be paid for Ingram 8
body, dead or alive.
DESPERATE ATTACK.
Three cowboys, armed to the teeth,
rode into the field where Ingram was
plowing, and without warning fired a
volley into him. His right arm was
shattered and his side wounded with
buckshot. The desperately wounded
man was sent back to North Carolina
in irons, and for two months lay at
Deaths door in jail. He finally re-
covered, however.
In the meantime his grandfather,
DIR. Ward, employed the best legal
talent in the State to defend him, en-
gaging four lawyers. The other side
employed similar number, one Of
them being an ex-judge from the
bench. In passing through Daniels
vile DIR. Ward was very much i'm
pressed with D. w. Meadow, and after
the capture of his grandson came to
Georgia and employed him at a hand
some fee to defend Ingram. This Mr..
Meadow did, staying twelve days in
Swain county. He did his best work
for his client, and when the case was
heard made speech that electrified
the courthouse and brought upon this
brilliant young lawyer the applause Of
the county. 1t was desperate case
against Ingram, but Mr.. Meadow sue
ceeded in getting a verdict of man
slaughter and sentence of seven
months in Jail. Ingram was the hap
piest man in North Carolina on COM
ing off SO light. Mr.. Meadow made
such fine impression that he was at
once engaged as leading counsel in
another big murder case to be tried in
Swain county at next term of court.
1t was grand legal triumph for one
of our most brilliant and popular
young lawyers.